


A kitten on a tree

by goodoldfashionedvillain



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-14 20:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2202546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodoldfashionedvillain/pseuds/goodoldfashionedvillain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Was written on a fest. School-AU. Kids hurt Steve and Bucky takes him under his wing. Steve tries to save everyone, and Bucky, respectively, saves him in the process. Then Steve leaves, Bucky suffers, at first, but then time passes and Steve is almost erased from his memory.<br/>And then, in the last year of high school, a new student appears: the handsome athlete, and it cuts the ground from under Bucky's feet</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Котенок на дереве](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1704965) by [Angelic_Fruitcake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelic_Fruitcake/pseuds/Angelic_Fruitcake). 



> This is a translation of my friend's fic, which I absolutely adore (that's why I decided to translate it, in the first place)  
> The first part of it is a kid fic, as innocent as it sounds. The second is more complicated and mature.  
> ___  
> I need a beta. I really do. English is not my first language, so there may be some mistakes - feel free to point them out to me. Please.

Here's what you can say about the new kid: his name is Steve, he has blonde, neatly combed hair, he slouches and presses his head into his shoulders, he is skinny and awkward.  
Here’s what Bucky can say about this boy: he has kind eyes, smiles a lot, but never laughs, he brings sandwiches with plum jam (Bucky likes those too) and he is constantly drawing something in a notebook or notepad, even during lessons.  
“Just like a girl”, Martin Collins expressed on this score and laughs loudly, showing his crooked teeth to the world.  
“And you are, Collins, not even able to hold a pencil in your hand”, Bucky, unlike Steve, is tall, sturdy, and has engaged in combat section for three years, which undoubtedly makes boys respect him more than Rogers’ artistic ability.  
Collins grimaces, snorts and leaves, and Steve grabs his backpack and without even looking at Bucky literally runs out of the class.  
Bucky shrugs, turns away from Collins and continues to listen to Teddy Wilson’s enthusiastic story about PlayStation-2.

***

Bucky bites off a large piece of an apple - it crunches and slightly splashes juice - when Lisa runs up to him, makes fearful eyes and says: “They are going to beat up a new kid!”  
Bucky doesn’t like to fight, but he can and sometimes he has to. But what he sees, turning the corner of the gym, he likes even less than all those fight he had to participate. Collins and two of his friends, one of whom – Chester – could simply crush Steve thanks to his impressive weight (god bless donuts and burgers) - they clamped Rogers into a corner, he aims a blow with his fists and morons laugh. When Bucky runs to them, Steve gets the first kick in the nose.  
The first and the last – Bucky wrings Martin’s arm behind his back, making him yell: “Let me go, let go!”. Chester sniffles: "Hey, Barnes, let him go, d'you hear?", but Bucky sees that they are afraid of him. At this very moment Steve clumsily hits Broke – the third idiot – in the ear and he’s going to hit back. Bucky is wringing Collins’ arm even stronger, boy screams and then figures out and shouts: "Brock" and the boy, thankfully, realizes that it’s better not to touch Steve.  
“James, you’re crazy, let Martin go and we’ll back off!”, Chester goes back down.  
Bucky is not going to arrange a real fight here, so he releases Collins of capture. Martin apprehensively glances at Bucky, says to his friends: "Guys, let’s get away from that jerk." Bucky looking directly at them and says:  
“Next time you decide to show your coolness, find idiots like you”  
When they leave, he turns to Steve:  
“Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, sure”, he says, his chin high, “There was no need for you to interfere, I could cope by myself!”  
Bucky could say something like: "Yeah, of course, you would have coped," but he didn’t want to banter over Steve. He’s a brave guy. So instead Bucky says:  
“Just… three against one… it's despicable. I don’t like this. What have you done to them?”  
Steve pulls out of his pocket handkerchief, presses it to his nose and says:  
“They mocked Lisa. I stood up for her”  
“These morons always pester someone. And you're the good fellow”, Bucky smiles at him, while Steve tries to scrub dried trickle of blood that went from the nose after the impact.  
“Maybe it's better to wet?”, Bucky offers, “I have some water”  
Steve gives him a handkerchief, Bucky pours him a bit of a soda.  
“My name is Steve Rogers”, Steve says firmly, “and you are - James Barnes?”  
“Friends call me Bucky”, he says and smiles.  
Steve's face breaks into a wide smile, and he repeats to himself "Friends."

***  
Steve sees second-form girl crying.  
“What happened?”  
“Mickey gave me a balloon on my birthday” - she pulls up and points a finger.  
Large inflatable balloon in the shape of an elephant stuck in a tree.  
“I’ll get it!”, Steve says with confidence.  
Bucky goes to the school yard and sees how Steve slowly and clumsily climbs up a tree. More precisely, he has already climbed up, and when Bucky runs up to the ill-fated oak, Steve lies on a branch with a satisfied look and swathes a balloon thread around his wrist.  
“I'll be right down”, he says and girl wipes her tears.  
“Steve, why are you there?” - Bucky loves to climb trees, and knows that to climb on them is much easier than going down. Especially if you're afraid of heights. Bucky hopes very much that Steve is not afraid, but when takes a look at him again, he sees that Rogers is stuck.  
Bucky thinks that it is better not to ask Steve about it and ask another question:  
\- Is everything okay?  
\- Of course! - Steve responds, and then makes some absolutely unimaginable act: hangs from the branches, apparently deciding that it will be easier to jump, but it takes a sudden realization - branch higher than he expected.  
Bucky realizes that Steve will not sag on his thin and weak arms long, and, without thinking twice, stands right underneath him. When a few seconds later Steve’s hands slide off branch, and Bucky stands with his arms up as if able to catch him, he falls to Bucky and they both fall to their back. But it almost doesn’t hurt and Steve rises quickly, offers his hand to Bucky and hands a balloon to a girl.  
“Thanks!” she says and smiling funny - missing a couple of front teeth.  
Steve - disheveled, in trousers soiled by a grass – looks awfully pleased with himself, and Bucky thinks that Steve is really brave. He says him that, and adds:  
\- Just don’t climb any more trees without me.

***

As it turned out, Steve lives on the same street with Bucky, just a little further, closer to the park. So now they get home together.  
Bucky likes Steve, even though he is not the ringleader and not very sociable, unlike Bucky.  
Here's what you can say about Steve: he is quiet and calm, he has the kindest smile and a heightened sense of justice, and just like Bucky loves to play the console, read comics, and wants to try all the cakes from the pastry shop on the corner, as well.  
Bucky likes it. Bucky likes Steve.  
Once, on the way home, Bucky asks him:  
“What do you usually draw?”  
Steve hesitates, looks at Bucky from under his brows. “I could show you, if you’re interested”  
“Of course I am!” Bucky is excited. Steve always stopped to draw, if someone was nearby, many of their classmates were trying to spy out what is depicted in the small-sized notebooks and albums of Steve. Bucky thought it was a bit rude, though he was curious too.  
“Then it’s probably better to go to me”, Steve offers. At least once a week, he’s a guest of Bucky, usually on Fridays after school, but Bucky haven’t come to him yet.  
It’s very comfortable and cozy at Steve’s place, lots of pictures on the walls, and Steve’s mom – Mrs. Rogers – offers them a cherry pie. Bucky thanks her, and Steve says that they aren’t hungry and will have a snack later. In fact, he can’t wait to show Bucky his drawings.  
In Steve’s room Bucky sits in a chair and takes a look at a large bookcase, at the posters on the walls with comic books’ heroes on them. Steve rummages in a drawer, and then hands Bucky a thick folder tied with a red ribbon.  
There’s a lot of stuff: comics’ sketches, animals, sometimes some cups, fruit, and landscapes come across. Bucky particularly likes the one that shows the coniferous forest - long pine trunks, fluffy prickly branches and bright sky that emerges through them.  
“I got some help with this one” modestly says Rogers. Bucky, actually, has never been interested in art, but he likes Steve’s drawings, he’s never seen anything like that, even on a school booth with the works of students. Bucky thinks that this is probably called talent.  
“It’s awesome” Bucky smiling “Seriously, Steve, why don’t you show them to anyone, you’re doing great!”  
“I draw for myself”  
Bucky nods. “Thanks for showing”. Steve smiles and glances at the posters. “You know, Buck, I’d like to draw comics. I even try to make sketches of some new characters”  
Bucky thinks it’s cool. And that Steve is totally gonna make it.  
“Will you give me your first issue?”

***

Bucky hears a familiar voice, "Mrs. Barnes, please, can you call James."  
He doesn’t wait for his mom to call and runs down.  
“Bucky” Steve seems worried “Need your help”  
Bucky asks for leave, Steve says they’re going to be here, not far down the street.  
“What happened?” Bucky wonders excitedly and Steve rushes as to the fire.  
“A kitten on a tree” Steve points at the apple tree “I tried to lure him, but it seems like he can’t go down”.  
At first Bucky hears a quiet meowing and then he can see a squeaking ball of fur in the crone.  
“You told me not to climb trees without you” adds Steve.  
Bucky deftly turns out on the correct branch, the kitten, surprisingly, shows friendliness and it’s not so difficult for Bucky to pick it up and press against his chest. Apple tree is convenient for climbing and it’s easy to go down, even with a kitten.  
Steve just glows with happiness, petting the kitten's head, scratching behind the ear.  
Bucky examines the saved - gray, with dark ears and spots of the same color on the eyes, but a bit too fluffy for Siamese.  
Both Steve and Bucky are full of pride and bring the kitten to Bucky’s place.

***

Before Christmas Bucky has been saving money for a month, plus his aunt gave him twenty bucks, and then, finally, father took him to the desired shop. Bucky was a little worried that the gift for Steve, which he had laid an eye on, won’t be at the store, after all, it was Christmas Eve. But he was lucky.  
Bucky returns home in a high spirits, he can’t wait to give Steve his present.  
On the morning of Christmas Eve, he carefully wraps up in a scarf, pulls his hat over his ears (even without his mother's reminders) - Christmas this year is really cold and snowy. Bucky walks slowly to the Steve’s house, trying not to slip.  
Steve opens the door himself, he can’t wait to exchange presents, too. In truth, if not take family into account, Bucky is the only person to whom Steve will give a present for Christmas, ever.  
Bucky hands him a box wrapped in red shiny paper, Steve tries to remove it without breaking, as carefully as possible, but it’s clear that these moments of waiting are especially hard for him.  
In the box - a figure of Captain America, not collection trading, of course, but the official edition. Steve has drawn this figure many times, and it seems that Bucky noticed and remembered it. Steve smiling widely and happily, puts the figure on the table and admires it. But then he frowns.  
"I never thought I'd get such a... precious gift" Steve is shy, as always. He hands Bucky a magazine.  
It's comics. Comics that Steve drew by himself; cover, as in real comics from the publishing house, the name painted in large letters, there's even a number - the first - in the corner. On the inside - frames, neatly divided into squares, and one frame is even put into a U-turn.  
Bucky looks at the characters and realizes that he is the protagonist of comics and Steve is his partner. He is speechless.  
"You asked to give you the first issue, so I thought..." Steve stammers when Bucky hugs him tight.

***

Late April, and it's already incredibly stuffy and hot somehow.  
Bucky is sitting in the shade of a large tree, watching the sunlight wandering in the leaves and shattering into many small narrow beams. Steve has run away somewhere, but handed Bucky a book right before it. The book has a weird title "Dandelion Wine". Bucky has never heard of wine made of dandelions, but he likes the book.  
Steve comes back ten minutes later - face red from the heat and brisk walking, hair plastered to his forehead. He holds an ice cream in each hand.  
"I got you a blueberry"  
"I love blueberry ice cream" says Bucky and thinks to himself that Steve has guessed well.  
Steve eats his ice cream and asks Bucky if he began to read the book.  
Steve thinks that this day is similar to his own dandelion wine - "caught and stoppered". Bucky thinks the same thing, just doesn't know this yet.

***

Bucky thinks that he's never seen Steve crying.  
Steve didn't cry when trying to protect someone from bullies, got beaten up himself; didn't cry when that moron Collins took his drawings and tore them apart (Bucky'd spent , like, an eternity at principal's office, but it was worth it - Collins doesn't dare to approach them now); didn't cry when his mom broke a leg and got to the hospital. Despite the weak appearance, Steve was brave and strong in spirit, he was kind and smart, he was Bucky's best friend and Bucky thought that it was going to last forever.  
Steve thought that, too, and that's why his eyes are on the wet spot. Bucky doesn't look any better.  
He watches how porters close the last truck with Rogers' stuff. Steve's dad is in the car, that is rumbles quietly; Steve's mom is standing at the door, waiting for him to say goodbye to Bucky.  
Steve thinks that it won't happen, ever.  
Steve doesn't want to say goodbye, not that he's afraid - he is sure that he will never have such friend like Bucky. Not the first time, Bucky thinks the same about him.  
Later, in the car, Steve is looking in the rear window and waving at Bucky until they turn around the corner.  
Bucky is waving even after that.


	2. Chapter 2

First day of school represents itself with a downpour among the heat and sunlight, it's like a shiny serpentine falling from the sky. Bucky thinks that he becomes entangled in the streams of water, because it's impossible to distinguish the drops, only the long cold filaments that extend to the ground from the clouds. He thinks that it's better to carry a towel rather than an umbrella, though he has neither the one nor the other.  
There are puddles in the school hallways, without exaggeration.  
Bucky finds Natasha near the lockers, she made a boat out of a piece of paper and puts it into one of the puddles.  
"Hey", he says and she's about to respond, but suddenly looks somewhere over his shoulder. "What, is Barton there?" Bucky mirthlessly smiles and turns around. "Whoa, 's not Barton"  
It's not, indeed. This guy has short cropped blonde hair, broad shoulders, and it seems like he consists entirely of muscles. Well, it's clear that all the people do, but this guy is definitely differs from all the people. He wears a white t-shirt and Bucky thinks "What kind of an idiot can put that on in the weather like that?" and he also thinks that this guy can go to any wet shirts competition and win without really trying. To himself, Bucky sarcastically calls him "Ken". Of course, he looks nothing like Ken. His face is much more pleasant to look at, and no, it's not the shape of the lips or the eye color, and further under the list. Just a light, kind expression, that's all.  
"Had a little crush?" Natasha is smiling, pleased with herself.  
"Tell me, my dear, how did you spend your weekend?" Bucky wraps his arm around girl's shoulders and goes in the opposite direction from the gorgeous wet guy. Because it's strictly forbidden to look at people like him from the back.  
Natasha doesn't answer, just says: "Bucky, your class is on the other side of the hall".

***

"Hey, listen up!" Natasha tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, Bucky sits propping up the cheek.  
"What?"  
"He moved from New Jersey with his parents, joined the football team here, he is single, and you have literature and english together".  
"I don't think I understand", Bucky turns the page of the textbook, "Who are you talking about?"  
"A guy in a white shirt"  
"And why?" Bucky tries so hard to show indifference. Natasha giggles.  
"Oh, it's up to you - to make it easier to avoid meetings or vice versa"  
"Nat, look, I get it - your heart is already taken by Barton, so you try to project your potential love interests at me. And you're doing it with an enviable constancy. Don't."  
"It would be sin not to! Have you seen that ass?"  
Bucky freezes with an unreadable expression on his face. "I'm actually trying to avoid this"  
"What a shame", declares Natasha, rising from her chair. Bucky looks at her with his mouth shut.  
"So, what's his name?" he asks after a pause.  
"Well, even I can't know everything", she shrugs and then smiles.  
Bucky suddenly gets a little uncomfortable.

***

The new guy wears a blue plaid shirt and sand-colored pants, and his whole appearance broadcasts into space that everything is and always will be great. As if the world was created for the warm August evening in the apple orchard.  
No matter how hard Bucky's trying to make himself hate the apple orchard, he still likes the feeling. It seems familiar and simple - so-called comfort zone.  
The newcomer seems like a nice guy, but the sudden interest in him brings Bucky a lot of inconvenience and irritation. No doubt, that guy is handsome and all that, but he is, actually, not the first and not the only one. And Bucky didn't use to stare at strangers' backs, no matter how outstanding they were.  
Something about this guy captivates, there's something about him that seems homey, and Bucky is mad because he can't figure out what. It feels as if you wanted to say something very important, but lost the thought, and you wander on the back streets of your own memory in an attempt to remember. And eventually it turns out that this "important" thing was the news that your cat has started to molt.

***

Most of the girls fell for the new guy, and right now the poor boy is surrounded by cheerleaders. These girls used to fawn upon Bucky, but Natasha's presence next to him has cooled them down.  
Bucky mentally compares them to piranhas, given the width of smiles, and focuses on thorough chewing his chocolate covered cherry.  
Blond smiles shyly, scratches his head, nerviously tugs the edge of his t-shirt, and Bucky gasps from indignation - how dare he flirt so ruthlessly. But the thing is that he's not flirting - he smiles because he's full of love for mankind, and all these outrageously attractive gestures are really more from embarrassment than from the desire to show off. Seems like this guy is just too good to be true, and Bucky doesn't understand why, in that case, he hasn't started vomiting from the sugary ideality of the newcomer. It's probably because this guy is good, but not perfect, he doesn't look like some kind of a moralist, more like an ardent guardian of justice. And Bucky doesn't see anything wrong with that. Another attempt to tarnish the newcomer in his own eyes has failed miserably. Meanwhile, the guy goes from the football field, where he was chatting with the girls, to a parking lot - right where Bucky stands with a bored look on his face (God bless the inventor of sunglasses). Bucky wonders, which car belongs to him. Probably some second-hand "Chevrolet". Bucky is so keen on staring at the cars that someone's "Hello" makes him wince. Bucky is sitting on a bench, and the new guy is standing in front of him - tall and blocking out the sun, and his pants fit tightly on his hips, and, oh God, can he wear the t-shirts in size, better - for a couple of sizes larger, because the other way it's absolutely impossible to look at him. "Hey, sorry, do you know where's the vending machine? I'm dying for a drink after a workout" Bucky reaches into his bag with a straight face and hands him a bottle of water. "Here, you can finish it, not much left, anyway" "Thank you", he smiles. Of course, he does. Bucky realizes his mistake too late - when the guy trows his head back, and Bucky can oly look at his neck and the way a drop of water runs down it. "Thanks again!" he throws the bottle in the trash, "My name's Steve" "Nice to meet you, Steve", Bucky doesn't say another word. Steve raises his hand in a gesture of farewell, and then goes to the luxurious bike and goes off, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Bucky watches how this very dust slowly settles on the asphalt.

***

"C'mon, buddy" Bucky says to a tree, "Get down from there".  
"Hey, kitty, kitty" he says.  
"Look, what I've got" he says and shakes a package of cat food. Only a plaintive meowing is heard from the tree.  
"Need help?" Bucky jumps in surprise.  
Steve is standing right behind him.  
"It seemed to me as if you have a problem".  
"Well, yeah" Bucky points at the tree, "Let the cat into the yard, and the neighbor's dog appeared. He got scared and got up there. Now he doesn't want to go down".  
"He seems pretty old".  
"Yeah, I've had him since the primary school"  
"Mhm... Mind if I climb up on your tree?"  
Bucky looks thoughtfully at him. "Actually, I don't".  
"Great!" Steve grins and deftly climbs up the tree. Bucky recalls his childhood and how he had "saved" a kitten once.  
Tree sways a little and rustles because of Steve and the cat. "Steve", Bucky thinks, "How funny, since Steve..."  
Object of reflections interrupts these very reflections. The cat is fine, but Steve looks pensive.  
"Hey, uhm", he begins, "I kinda still don't know your name"  
"James" is a reply, "But friends call me Bucky".  
The next moment he finds himself in Steve's arms.  
"Don't crush my cat, please", Bucky wheezes into his neck. Steve hugs him so tightly that the tears came into his eyes.

***

"Hey", Steve slams Bucky's shoulder.  
"Hey there", all night Bucky spent analyzing his feelings for his childhood best friend, and this analysis was ended disgracefully - with a shower.  
They chatted all evening yesterday, sitting under the same tree as they used to. Steve seemed to be able to talk incessantly, and to listen - even longer, as if he couldn't get enough, as if they haven't seen each other a hundred years... In some way, it was true.  
"Wanna go somewhere today?"  
"Like where?"  
"I don't know, we can watch a movie and then, maybe, go for a walk?"  
Bucky doesn't like to go on dates.  
Bucky doesn't like to go on dates, which only he knows about.  
"Yeah, sure", he says.  
"Okay, I'll pick you up at eight". Bucky feels like his face twitched, but, fortunately, it wasn't noticeable. Natasha creeps imperceptibly - Bucky thinks that it happens too often in recent times. "Well, well", she drawls. "This is my old friend", Bucky says and winces. Bucky lives on a quiet, peaceful street, where the neighbor's dog is the only source of the noise. Therefore, the noise of Steve's bike bursts into the consciousness and hits a backhand. Bucky is a six feet height and a certain amount of muscle mass, Steve is more in all respects, and Bucky has never, never, thought that someday he'd go with his friend to the movies on his bike. "Hold on", says Steve before pressing the gas. Bucky is a bit confused - he would like to touch Steve everywhere, but now, it seems, he needs to embrace his friend's chest. "Awfully erotic form of transport", blurts out Bucky. He's hugging Steve, sitting tight pressed against him, but, nevertheless, it's a little something. They shouldn't have to do this in helmets. "Right you are", cheerfully responds Steve, "You'll get used to it". Buckt relishes this respond, but at the same time he wants to laugh nervously. Steve presses on the gas. They ride at breakneck speed, but Bucky isn't afraid, it's a completely different feeling - it takes his breath away, and they are surrounded by wind and red sunset. And it's great, as well as to feel heat coming from Steve, so nicely contrasting with the cold wind of speed, as to feel a soft fabric of the jacket under his fingers - at some point, Bucky catches himself thinking that it's somehow intimate. Steve monitors the road and smiles, he's smiling like crazy since yesterday. The movie is nothing outstanding, and Bucky constantly lets snide comments while watching. Eventually, Steve whispers in his ear - his breath makes Bucky freeze and shut up - "You're making me blush, there are other people, if you haven't noticed". However, he says it still smiling. Bucky remains silent till the final credits - good thing is that there's not much left of a movie. Later, they go foe a walk around the city. A couple of girls smiles at them, they smile back. Steve stops at the ice cream van. "Two, pleace. Blueberry and cream". Bucky feels like warmth spreads inside him, light, soft, and pretty much summer-like. Steve feels the same way.

***

Saturday morning is disgusting: November, drizzle, the mist has gobbled up everything around. Mom yells: "James, it's Steve, he's going upstairs". Bucky only manages to put on his jeans, so Rogers finds him slightly unprepared.  
"Morning", he says, "Here, you asked for the lectures for the weekend, so instead of jogging in the park I ran here"  
"Thanks", Bucky is looking him in the face.  
Steve isn't looking at him, but when he finally looks up, he predictably stares at Bucky's left shoulder.  
"Wow", he exhales.  
It seems like Steve does it almost mindlessly - reduces the distance between them, and then gently, barely touching, glides his fingers over the tattoo on his shoulder. Bucky shivers. Steve removes his hand too quickly, as if from the heat, like a conditioned reflex, but Bucky just says: "No". He takes Steve's wrist and returns his hand back on his shoulder, presses gently. He thinks that he's breathing too loud.  
Bucky's tattoo simulates a metal insert, the prosthesis, it's made masterful - at some point Steve feels the cold of the metal. For some reason he slides his hand down the warm skin, stops at the crook of the elbow, then - back, only this time his fingers are slipping off on Bucky's collarbone, and lower, on his chest.  
Now the mist is not only outside, but in Steve's eyes, Bucky sees it and breathes out loudly. The mist clears away by his breath, and Steve takes a step back.  
"Bucky, I...", he hesitates, stumbles, looks at the floor, backs to the door.  
"You, what?", Bucky manages to cope with his own voice, and it sounds steady.  
"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have".  
"Steve?".  
He twirls the door handle.  
"Steve, wait".  
Rogers literally flies out of the house, without even saying goodbye to Mrs. Barnes, and he's ashamed of it, and even more ashamed because of what just happened. So he's running, running through the fog and drizzling rain, and he wants this moisture to go through him, washing away all the wrong thoughts. Bucky is his best friend, a childhood friend, Bucky has a girlfriend - this beautiful red-haired girl, and Bucky has this goddamn tattoo, and Steve needs to catch his breath.  
The fact that Bucky held his hand, Steve doesn't even want to remember.

***

Natasha literally presses Steve to the wall. "How long are you gonna avoid him?"  
"I think it's my own business".  
"No, sweetie, it's also my friend's business. And you're gonna tell me what happened between you two".  
"I won't get rid of you until you know it?" Steve's rubbing his forehead wearily.  
"That's right".  
"I'd acted impolitely towards Bucky. As his friend I had no right to do so".  
Natasha frowns, Roger's words seem artificial, contrived and rehearsed.  
"And what Bucky thinks about it you, of course, hasn't found out, carried away by the dialogue with your own...", Natasha's trying to find the right word and grins when does so, "Conscience?"  
Steve remains silent and feels stupid.  
"Just tell me", she asks at last, "How many months of reflection you'd need?"  
Steve thinks that, first of all, reflection isn't his kind of thing, and, secondly, why Natasha decided that this conversation is going to change anything?  
"And how many months you need to finally talk to Barton?"  
Steve shudders. Natasha departs from him and, frowning, looks at Bucky who just approached.  
"Oh, fine, Barnes, I think I'll go and cut 'Never try to help your friends' on my forehead"  
"Good idea", he responds with a faint smile.  
She shrugs off and leaves, wrapping herself in a scarf on the move.  
"Don't get mad at her, she just likes to solve other people's problems", says Bucky.  
"With what result?" wonders Rogers.  
"What do you think?"  
"You're going home now?" Steve asks, ignoring the question.  
"Yeah", Bucky looks expectantly at him.  
"Then let's go together".  
It gets dark early in December. Light of the lanterns somehow reminds Steve of oranges. Trees in the park, which seemed so sinister to Steve all last month, today, finally, decorated with garlands, and now their branches glisten with myriads of lights, fireflies, lost in a quiet but long snowfall.  
"There hasn't been such a snowy winter ever since you've left", says Bucky. Steve stops and looks straight at him.  
"If you only knew how I've missed you all this time".  
"And I haven't", Barnes responds, "Hey, don't you worry. At first, I missed you terribly, I thought that with your leaving everything was over, but then, you know, life went on. I probably did the right thing, didn't overshadow all the happy memories of our friendship longing for you".  
"Yeah", Steve nods.  
"But I really missed you now", continues Bucky.  
They go on fresh snow, Bucky looks back at the two tracks of footprints and smiles to his thoughts.  
"Bucky", Steve pronounces his name a bit weird, somehow new, but Bucky definitely likes it.  
"What, Stevie? You still have questions?"  
Steve is trying to gather his thoughts. Bucky thinks that the process is slightly delayed.  
"Look how much snow! Come on, let's make the snow angels", Bucky grins, grabs Steve by the hand and drags him along, and falls and pulls again, lies in the snow and this time he pulls Steve on top of himself.  
Bucky's lips are warm and soft, a kiss is blurred and a little awkward, because everything is unexpected, and Steve barely keeps his balance, and eventually falls in the snow, too. They lie side by side, arms spread out, above them - the set of white dots: the light of garlands, snowflakes, and stars.  
"Never liked the snow. Too blinding and cold", whispers Bucky.  
"Maybe we should get up then?" suggests Steve, although he absolutely doesn't want to get up. All he wants is to kiss Bucky, again and again.  
Nevertheless, he gets up and offers Bucky a hand, and, seizing the moment, catches him into the arms.  
Lantern above them symbolically blinks twice and goes off.

***

"You know", Bucky stretches out on the bed, "I was surprised that you haven't been hiding for another month, and made deals with your conscience after that day".  
Steve hides his face behind a tablet, smiles, and makes no sound, but a quiet scratch of a pencil.  
"Why are you silent?"  
"I prefer to listen to you when I'm drawing".  
"But maybe you could tell me what's up with your conscience?"  
"I don't need to make any deals with it".  
"You don't?"  
"Yes. You can assume that my conscience's accepted you".  
"That's good", mutters Bucky under his breath, but Steve can hear him anyway.  
Bucky sits and takes off his sweater.  
"What are you doing?" Steve, finally, shows up from the tablet.  
"Taking off my sweater. Am I making you uncomfortable?"  
Steve puts his tablet away, comes to Bucky and leans for a kiss.  
Bucky puts his hands on Steve's shoulders, draws him closer, Steve weakens and falls on the bed.  
"Steve", Bucky bites his earlobe, "When will your parents come home?"  
"In about five hours", he responds automatically and then realizes, "Bucky?"  
"Do you", Bucky spreads his legs so Steve can lie between them, and starts to unbutton his shirt, "Do you have any objections?"  
"Maybe", Steve delays the answer.  
"Oh, come on", Bucky's breath is hot on Steve's neck, and he kisses him - slowly, lightly and a little too sweet.  
Steve half-rises, takes off his shirt, his hands are shaking when he's trying to unbutton Bucky's jeans, and when Bucky's hands cover his fingers, he feels like he's electrified.  
"Don't shake like that", Bucky whispers, and Steve lies on top of him. Bucky gets hot from the touch of their bodies, he slowly exhales.  
Sometimes Steve rushes too much, like when he's trying to get rid of his pants, and in this moment Bucky even finds the strength to grin. Then, he holds up - slowly, way too slowly, kisses Bucky: his lips, cheeks, even his chin, neck, and then - shoulders. At the same time, Steve runs his hands over Bucky's hips and thighs, grips a bit too tight, and Bucky quietly moans, and Steve already kisses a place under the collarbone, and chest, and stomach, and then his hands and fingers. And at this point Bucky can't believe how uncertain Steve was at first.  
Steve likes to watch how Bucky responds to every touch, likes to put his hair away from his face, and at some point, he becomes curious if Bucky can blush, so he goes down. All his actions are motivated by intuition and some crazy instincts. Bucky doesn't blush, but he closes his eyes and moans, and Steve loves it.  
Even more he likes it when Bucky brings his legs together behind his back, likes that the only thing Bucky manages to say is "Oh, Steve, come on" and then Bucky chokes not only on words, but on air as well. And Steve thinks that it's too good, too hot and too fast, but he can't do it another way, just like that. Only this way everything is right, only this way is real. Only this way Bucky can find his lips and kiss and groan into his mouth. Steve can't see clearly, he's able to focus only on Bucky's shaky lashes.  
Bucky looks at Steve, his Steve, who is now as close to him as possible; Bucky runs his hands down his back, over the shoulders, feels the tense of muscles.  
Bucky clings to Steve with all his hectic, ragged, inconsistent thoughts and feelings.  
And Steve can't let him go, too.

***

"Barton invited Natasha to the prom", says Bucky, "Now she is concerned about all this stuff as everyone else".  
"Is it a bad thing?" Steve smiles.  
"No, it's just a little bit weird".  
Steve and Bucky are sitting under the old tree in the park. It seems like that warm April day straight from their childhood froze here, in the shadow of the branches. Moreover, it's always been here, all these years, and has been only waiting for them.  
How good is that it has been waiting.  
Even better that it always will be here.

 

***The end***


End file.
